Moonlight
by Skeletoncrew
Summary: Michaelangelo brings an injured animal home, and receives the shock of his life. Chapter 10 is finally up! Read it and learn Janine's sad story.
1. Chapter 1

Moonlight  
  
By Skeletoncrew  
  
Disclaimer: All TMNT characters belong to Mirage Publishing.  
  
  
  
Michaelangelo smiled when he saw the moonlight seeping in through the bars of the grate ahead. As he approached he could smell the fresh air blowing in from the park. It was a gorgeous night! With the moon as full and bright as it was he'd have no trouble sketching the scenery. He paused a moment to listen for movement, and hearing none, proceeded to loosen the bolts that held the grate in place. Michaelangelo began to sing quietly as he worked. "It's a marvelous night for a moon dance, a fantabulous night to make romance… There! Got it!"  
  
Leaning out of the large drainpipe he carefully set aside the grate. As he prepared to step down to the ground he heard a sharp sound followed by a yelp of pain and froze. A gunshot! The Ninja Turtle was uncertain what to do. Someone nearby was in trouble, but guns were something best avoided at all costs. His heart raced as he strained to determine how far off the shot had come from. He could hear shouting off to the left.  
  
"After it! It ran into the trees! Don't lose it!"  
  
"Whaddya think I'm blind? I saw it. Don't worry, it ain't gonna get very far!"  
  
Michaelangelo was reaching down to pull the grate back up when he saw the dog limp into view. Panting hard, it paused about 12 feet from the drainpipe and looked back in the direction the voices had come from. It was a large dog with a full silvery coat. Michaelangelo's face darkened with anger as he noticed the blood running down its rear leg. He made up his mind. He had to help.  
  
He whistled lowly and the dog started. It turned its gaze towards him and began to step away as if uncertain of what to do. Michaelangelo then called out in a gentle voice, "Come here boy! I won't hurt you. You'll be safe in here!"  
  
At a sound from the underbrush, the dog took one more look back at the trees and then bolted into the drainpipe and past the crouching turtle. Moving quickly Michaelangelo hopped out of the pipe and scuffed up the ground to conceal any tracks and then proceeded to replace the grate. No sooner had he done so than two rough looking men burst into the small clearing. He silently moved farther back into the pipe, crouching down to let the shadows conceal him. The men stopped in the clearing and began to argue.  
  
"Damn it! Where'd it go? 'Don't worry, it ain't gonna get very far,' my ass!"  
  
"Calm down, I want that pelt as much as you! Its probably already dead, we just have to find it."  
  
Michaelangelo let out a deep breath as the two would-be hunters moved off into the trees on the other side of the pipe. They had never even bothered to look his way. Michaelangelo rose from his crouch and looked around. The dog was laying a few feet farther down, staring at him intently. He had the feeling that it was trying to make up its mind about him. "Its okay boy. Those bad men are gone now and I won't hurt you."  
  
Moving closer to the dog, Michaelangelo held his hand out for it to sniff. It rose and started to back away, so he quit moving and crouched down again. "Hey, its alright. My name is Mike and if it means anything to you, those jerks probably would have shot me too if they'd seen me. So, you see? We're on the same side. I'd like to help you if you'll let me."  
  
Michaelangelo held still as the dog stepped awkwardly forward and sniffed his hand. Seemingly satisfied it sat and gazed into his eyes. He moved his hand up to its head and ran it slowly down its back. He carefully felt down to where blood matted the soft fur. Whimpering, the dog leaned forwards and licked Michaelangelo's face. Smiling, he spoke, "Sorry, I know it hurts. I'm afraid I can't exactly take you to a vet; but if you'll let me, I'll take you home and see what I can do about your leg."  
  
Gathering the dog in his arms, Michaelangelo rose and set out for home. As he walked he thought to himself, "I wonder if Splinter will let me keep him? I've never had a pet dog before." He smiled at the prospect. 


	2. Chapter 2

Raphael had just switched the TV on and was just getting settled on the couch when he heard a banging at the door. He jumped to his feet, wondering who would be pounding on the door. Anyone who had any business being there knew how to get in. At the sound of Michaelangelo's voice, his momentary panic turned into annoyance. "Hey! Could somebody get the door for me?"  
  
Grumbling, Raphael walked over to the door and crossing his arms, stopped. "What's the matter, your arms broke?"  
  
"No. They're full! Now open up already!"  
  
"What's the magic word?"  
  
"There's no time for this Raph! Please!"  
  
Raphael felt that there was always time for harassing his goofball brother, but he relented and opened the door. Michaelangelo brushed past him and made a beeline for the kitchen. It looked like he was carrying a large animal of some sort. Raphael groaned inwardly and, closing the door, headed after him.  
  
Absorbed in his reading, Donatello didn't even notice Michaelangelo's presence until a bushy tail obscured his view of Popular Mechanics. The tail twitched and nearly upset his glass of orange juice. Donatello looked up at his brother. Michaelangelo spoke, "Don? Would you help me out here? Don't look so worried, he's a nice dog."  
  
Donatello arose from the seat and cleared his things from the table. He looked over at the large canine now laid out on its side. Michaelangelo leaned over its head, speaking gently. "Now just lie still boy, I'm gonna wash my hands and get the first aid kit. You're gonna be fine."  
  
Donatello smiled. It always amused him to see his little brother talking to animals as though they could understand what he was saying.  
  
"What the hell are you doing putting that mangy mutt on the table? We eat off of that you know!" Raphael stormed into the room.  
  
Washing his hands, Michaelangelo spoke over his shoulder; "Some jerks in the park shot him in the leg! What was I supposed to do, leave him so they could finish him off?"  
  
"You can't be bringing home every miserable little animal you find! This isn't a zoo!"  
  
"Oh yeah? Well then why does your room smell like the monkey house?" Michaelangelo left to retrieve the first aid kit. Raphael followed after him, continuing to argue.  
  
Donatello washed his hands, and moved to examine the animal. It had features similar to a German Shepherd and its alert ears and bright yellow eyes tracked his every move. Donatello estimated its weight to be around 120 pounds. The left hind leg was matted with dried blood and it was panting rapidly. Keeping a watchful eye on it, lest it should snap at him, he laid his hands on the injured leg and began carefully feeling for broken bones. Much to his surprise, the animal neither snapped, nor showed any resistant to his handling of its leg.  
  
Arms laden with bandages and antiseptic Michaelangelo returned, trailed by the remainder of their unusual family. Raphael was glowering but Leonardo and Splinter both bore neutral expressions. Carefully setting the supplies down on the opposite end of the table, he looked at Donatello and asked, "So what's the diagnosis Doc?"  
  
"Nothing appears to be broken, and I don't think any internal organs have been pierced; however, it looks like quite a bit of blood has been lost. Oh, and this particular canine lacks the requisite parts to be a 'he'."  
  
Raphael snorted derisively and Michaelangelo looked slightly sheepish. Donatello continued, "Provided that she doesn't lose too much more blood; if we can get the bullet out of her leg and stitch the wound shut, I think she should be okay. She certainly seems eager to cooperate."  
  
At that, she wagged her tail and looked hopefully towards the assembled group. Donatello watched as Splinter stepped forward and gazed down into her eyes. He knew that his Sensei had never cared much for dogs; most that they encountered were dangerous strays, but this one seemed tame enough. Splinter reached slowly forward to stroke her head. She whined and as he withdrew his hand her tongue darted out to lick it. Splinter looked at Michaelangelo and spoke, "This is not a stray dog. She must belong to someone. You may tend to her wound and she may stay until she is able to walk, but then you must see to it that she is returned to her home."  
  
"Awww, but Master Splinter," Michaelangelo began.  
  
"No. You may not keep her. The sewers are no place for a dog to live. Until she is healed, she is your responsibility. You will feed her, clean up after her, and see that she stays out of trouble."  
  
"Yes Master Splinter."  
  
"You will also clean this table with bleach and water after you are done here. The kitchen is not exactly an appropriate place for surgeries."  
  
"Yes Master Splinter. Sorry. Um, may I keep her in my room?"  
  
Raphael stepped forward. "Hey! It's my room too! No way you're keeping that smelly beast in our room!"  
  
"Raphael! It is rude to interrupt." Splinter continued, "Yes, you may; however, if she causes your brother any problems you will need to find another place to keep her. Donatello?"  
  
"Yes Sensei?"  
  
"Are you going to help Michaelangelo tend to her wound?"  
  
"Yes Master Splinter."  
  
"Then I suggest you get started. We shall leave you both to your work."  
  
With that, Splinter ushered his other two sons out of the room and they set to their task. 


	3. Chapter 3

A few hours later, life in the lair had returned too normal. The surgery had gone off without a hitch, and the patient was now sleeping on an old blanket laid out near the couch. Michaelangelo had cleaned the kitchen and was now playing a video game with Raphael. Donatello was glued to his computer, and Splinter had retreated to the quiet of his room. Leonardo sat in an easy chair near the couch reading a military history book.  
  
At a pause in the game Michaelangelo looked down at the dog. "We should pick a name for her."  
  
"I knew this was coming," thought Leonardo, shaking his head. "The same thing happens every time he brings an animal home. He gets attached, then resists when its time to let it go. I don't know why Splinter doesn't just put his foot down."  
  
Leonardo spoke, "No, Mike. You know we can't keep her."  
  
"I know, I know! But she'll probably be here a couple of days at least. We can't just call her dog!"  
  
Raphael cut in, "Yes we can!"  
  
Michaelangelo ignored him. "Hmmm…what would be a good name? She's kinda silver colored. How about Silver?"  
  
"How about Ugly?"  
  
"Maybe Amber, she's got such bright yellow eyes."  
  
"How about Fleabag? She's probably crawling with them."  
  
"She's very sweet-natured, maybe Sugar, or Honey."  
  
Raphael made a disgusted face. "How about Cujo, or better yet, Bitch?"  
  
"How about we just change your name from Raphael to Asshole?"  
  
Leonardo looked up, worried that their Sensei might have entered the room. "Watch your language guys!"  
  
"Don't be such a pussy Leo. She's a female dog. She's a bitch."  
  
"And Raph is an asshole," muttered Michaelangelo under his breath.  
  
"If Splinter hears you two talking like that he'll have you doing flips until you wear a hole in the floor."  
  
"That would have to be an awful lot of flips Leo." Donatello strolled into the room holding a book, "Not that I want to interrupt what I'm sure is an edifying conversation, but I think you'll find this interesting."  
  
"What, you win the sexiest nerd alive contest?" Raphael grinned evilly.  
  
"Not yet. I was curious about what breed of dog our visitor is, so I started looking around online. I didn't find anything that looked quite right, so I looked into another possibility, and it checked out. Mikey's furry friend there is not a Canis familiaris, she's a Canis Lupus." With that, Donatello handed the book to Michaelangelo and pointed to the open page.  
  
"She's a wolf?!" Michaelangelo's startled cry awakened the sleeping animal, who jerked her head up in alarm.  
  
Leonardo walked over to look at the book in Michaelangelo's hands. "You have got to be joking. There are no wolves in New York City."  
  
Everyone turned their heads to stare at the "dog". Apparently uncomfortable under their combined gaze, she started to creep backwards.  
  
"Hey! Don't be scared girl!" Michaelangelo handed the book off to Raphael and went over to the wolf. "Its okay, I don't care if you're a dog or not. I still love ya."  
  
"Okay Don, I agree that she definitely looks the wolves in your book here. So what does that mean to us?"  
  
"Well, I read up a little on wolves that are kept as pets; since I'm sure we can agree that its highly unlikely that she's feral." They glanced over to the floor where Michaelangelo was now cuddling the wolf and whispering in her ears as she panted and thumped her tail happily on the floor. Leonardo nodded in agreement.  
  
Donatello continued, "Dogs and wolves are basically the same, they can be interbred to create hybrids. However, wolves and wolf-hybrids are wilder, less predictable than dogs, can't always be housetrained, and there is a greater potential for aggressive behavior."  
  
Raphael looked up from the book. "Oh great! So you're saying there's a good chance that she'll rip our throats out in the middle of the night."  
  
"I wouldn't jump to that conclusion! Obviously she's got a very good temper. After all, she let Mike and I remove a bullet from her leg without anesthetic! She hasn't growled once, peed on anything, or shown us any other sign of aggression. Which is a lot more than I can say for you, Raph!"  
  
"Hey! I've never peed on anything!"  
  
"I seem to recall an incident involving Mike's favorite comic book." Donatello arched his eyebrow.  
  
"I was eight at the time! He kept annoying me with it! I…"  
  
Leonardo chuckled and cut him off. "Okay. We'll just be extra careful around her, and get her out of here as soon as possible. Hey Mike?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Why don't you take her out now and see if she'll do her business. Its just about time for bed."  
  
"Okay. Come on Sweetie!"  
  
Leonardo watched as Mike left with the wolf. It had been an interesting day. "Nice to have a little variety around here," he thought as he headed off to bed. 


	4. Chapter 4

Raphael awoke to an urgent pressure in his bladder. Blinking, he stumbled off to the bathroom. As he returned to their room he wondered whether the wolf was still curled up on the foot of Michaelangelo's bed. He had not been happy about the arrangement, but Splinter had allowed it despite Donatello's revelation.  
  
He glanced over as he entered the room. It was still there, only it had stretched out alongside Michaelangelo, and he had thrown his arm over it. He was almost to his bed when his sleep-addled brain fully processed what he had seen. He stopped and looked back at the bed.  
  
He blinked. The scene before him had not changed. He rubbed his eyes. Nothing changed. "I'm still dreaming," he thought closing his eyes, "Wake up. Wake up. Wake up."  
  
He opened his eyes again. "Not fucking possible," he whispered, and sat slowly down on his bed.  
  
Raphael wasn't sure how long he'd been sitting there staring, when the sound of movement in the room across the hall awoke him from his reverie. "Probably Don and Leo heading out for their morning run," he thought, "Time to find out whether or not I've lost my mind."  
  
He opened the door just as Leonardo and Donatello were emerging from their room. They looked surprised to see him up so early.  
  
"You're not actually going to join us this morning are you?" Leonardo asked.  
  
"No. Ummm…"  
  
Donatello interjected, "The wolf wake you up or something?"  
  
"Or something. Uhhh, would you guys just look into the room there and tell me what you see on Mike's bed?"  
  
They exchanged a quizzical glance. Donatello shrugged, "Sure Raph."  
  
Donatello looked in first. He gasped and stepped back, jaw agape. Seeing his reaction, Leonardo quickly stepped past him and into the room. He stepped back out almost as quickly and closed the door quietly behind him.  
  
"Is this some kind of a joke?" He hissed at Raphael.  
  
Raphael folded his arms and shook his head.  
  
Donatello finally shut his mouth and swallowed. "It's a mannequin. Mikey hid the wolf, and put a mannequin on his bed. It's one of his pranks, albeit a really weird one. Mike's nightlight isn't all that bright. It only looks real because it's dark."  
  
He would have continued, but Raphael interrupted him. "That's not a mannequin. Mannequins don't breathe, they don't occasionally move in their sleep, and I don't think they have pubic hair."  
  
Donatello blushed. "I, uh, didn't look…"  
  
"That's a real, live, naked, chick."  
  
Leonardo started pacing, clearly agitated. "No! That's just not possible. Where would she have come from? How'd she have gotten in here? Why would she be here? It just doesn't make any sense!"  
  
"I don't know! All I know is…" Spotting Splinter coming down the hall Raphael stopped.  
  
"Is something wrong?" Splinter looked from his suddenly silent sons, to the bedroom door. "Has the wolf caused a problem?"  
  
Leonardo and Donatello looked towards Raphael, but he was at a loss for words. All he could do was open the door and point.  
  
Splinter entered the room with some trepidation. Had the wolf attacked Michaelangelo in his sleep? He would never forgive himself if one of his sons had been harmed. He relaxed as he laid eyes on Michaelangelo. His son was sleeping peacefully on his side, one arm flung out straight, hanging over the edge of the bed. And the other…oh my. It was draped over the nude young woman lying atop his blankets.  
  
Splinter stepped quietly forward to study her. She looked to be in her teens or twenties, had a pleasant face, fairly long wavy black hair, and pale skin. But what on earth was she doing here? His attention was drawn to the bandage wrapped around her left thigh. The same bandage that had just last night been wrapped around the leg of a wolf. He blinked. Surely, such a thing was not possible? And yet, what other explanation could there be?  
  
His other sons had crowded into the doorway as he had assessed the situation. He shooed them out into the hallway and closed the door. He motioned them on down the hall and into the living room. Sitting down with a sigh, he spoke, "It would appear that Michaelangelo's wolf has turned into a woman." 


	5. Chapter 5

Splinter had gathered his three sons in the living room so that they could try to make some sense of what they had found. He really was not certain what would be the best course of action at this point; but waking the stranger without first considering the situation would probably not be wise. She would be safe enough sleeping a while more; and Michaelangelo was not likely to wake soon.  
  
Raphael had offered his opinion, "She's a werewolf," and then lapsed into an uncharacteristic quiet. He had stared at her long enough to realize the significance of the bandage on her leg. At this point, his main concern was whether or not she would remember all the things he had said about her yesterday. He hoped not. She was hot.  
  
Donatello flat-out refused to accept the possibility that the woman and wolf were one. "Lycanthropy isn't real! Werewolves are just myths, movie monsters! There has to be a logical explanation!"  
  
"Occam's razor, my son." Splinter spoke up, "Which explanation is simplest? On the night of a full moon, a nude young woman wanders into the sewers. She finds her way to our home. She figures out how to get in; does so without waking any of us, and decides to sleep on Michaelangelo's bed. The animal we took in last night disappears, and the bandage wrapped around its leg somehow ends up on hers. Or, could it be that the wolf whom we took in last night changed shape, and is now a human?"  
  
Leonardo chimed in, "Admittedly, neither explanation seems terribly logical; but then, the whole situation is strange! I think we'll just have to wait until she wakes up and ask her."  
  
"Speaking of waking up, I'm afraid that it may not be possible to wake either her or Michaelangelo without awakening the other. She may not be surprised by the situation, but he certainly will be. It would be nice if we could acquaint him with the situation before waking her." Splinter turned towards Raphael. "Do you think that we would be able to wake your brother quietly?"  
  
Lost in thought, Raphael did not hear his sensei's question.  
  
"Raphael!"  
  
He started guiltily and looked towards Splinter. "Yes Sensei?"  
  
"I am concerned about how your brother will react to his bedmate. Do you think that we could wake him quietly?"  
  
Raphael snorted. "Not likely. I usually have to dump him on the floor to make sure he's awake. Anything less and he goes right back to dreaming."  
  
  
  
Blissfully unaware of the discussion in the living room, Michaelangelo smiled and blinked. He was having such a great dream! Somehow he knew that he was nearly awake; but he was still dreaming and he was going to make this one last. The woman in his embrace had black hair now. Funny how dreams change details like that so suddenly. He pulled her closer and nuzzled the back of her head. Mmmm…She even smelled good! These dreams were getting more and more realistic!  
  
He moved his hand a little higher up her body and began sliding it over her breasts. They were so silky and warm; he could even feel her nipples hardening under his touch. Oh yeah. She made a little noise and moved slightly in his arms.  
  
Done exploring her breasts he moved his hand down her body. It came to a little indentation. What is it? He moved his finger around and gave it an experimental poke. The woman gasped and let out a yell of shock, tearing from his grasp.  
  
Michaelangelo's eyes flew open. That wasn't supposed to happen! He sat up and found himself staring into the blue eyes of a black haired young woman. She looked as shocked as he felt. His eyes widened as he looked downwards, she was naked!  
  
Seeing the movement of his eyes, she snatched up the blankets and held them against her body. He looked back towards her face. Her eyes were pointed downwards and her mouth was agape. As she let out a tiny squeak he realized what it was that she was staring at.  
  
He grabbed his pillow and stuffed it over his lap just as the door flew open. 


	6. Chapter 6

The girl's shriek had brought them all to their feet. Splinter was first down the hall and into the bedroom. Raphael vaulted over the couch and had made it down the hall just in time for the door to swing back into his face. He pushed it hard and it hit the wall with a loud bang. The girl shrieked again and twisted the blankets tighter around her. She looked like she wished she could melt into the wall behind her. Michaelangelo had closed his eyes as soon as he saw Splinter, and was desperately wishing that when he opened them he would find himself alone.  
  
Donatello and Leonardo pushed into the room behind Raphael just as Splinter spoke. "What has happened?"  
  
Michaelangelo's eyes flew open. This was no dream. It was a nightmare! He turned his eyes to the girl, wondering exactly what he had done to her. She was staring at his brothers and blushing furiously. His gaze shifted to Splinter. "I, uh. I…I don't know what happened. I thought I was dreaming. I poked her."  
  
Noticing his brother's jaws drop and his Sensei's brow furrow, Michaelangelo turned a deeper shade of red. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out.  
  
"My bellybutton!" Everyone looked at the girl. Blushing, she continued, "He poked me in the bellybutton!"  
  
Raphael snorted, "Real smooth Mike. I think what you were looking for is about 12 inches lower."  
  
"Raphael!" Splinter wheeled on his son, "Out! Now!" He turned back to the girl, "Are you alright?"  
  
She nodded, "Yes, I'm fine. I just forgot where I was and being awoken by a FINGER in the bellybutton surprised me." She glared at Raphael.  
  
Splinter turned back to Raphael, "Did I not just tell you to leave the room?"  
  
"Yes Master Splinter." He bowed to his Sensei and, shooting a grin at his embarrassed brother, left the room.  
  
Turning his gaze to his other sons, "Leonardo, bring me April's spare set of clothing. Donatello, why don't you and Raphael see about breakfast?" Both bowed and left the room.  
  
Splinter turned back towards the bed and its dismayed occupants. "Leonardo will return in a moment with some clothing you may wear. Once you are dressed and comfortable, please come down the hall to the living room and we shall make our introductions."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
Leonardo returned at that moment with a bundle of women's clothing. He handed it to over to his master. "Thank you Leonardo, please go help your brothers in the kitchen." Splinter in turn, handed the clothing to the young lady and turned to leave. "Come on Michaelangelo."  
  
"Ummm...I um…"  
  
Splinter paused but did not turn, "Go take a cold shower," and he left.  
  
Michaelangelo's shoulders slumped. Raphael had noticed, the other guys had probably noticed, and Splinter HAD noticed. He looked over at the girl, wondering what she was thinking. She gave him a weak smile. He tried to smile back. "You know, I've never been so embarrassed in my life."  
  
"That makes two of us."  
  
"Would you please close your eyes until you hear the door shut?"  
  
Once her eyes were shut, Michaelangelo grabbed his bathrobe, and turning away from her, stood and put the robe on. He threw the pillow back into place and left the room almost at a run. 


	7. Chapter 7

Moonlight  
  
Chapter 7  
  
Splinter sighed as he walked down the hallway. This was going to be a long day. He hoped that his sons would behave themselves. Aside from their friend April O'Neil they had relatively little experience in dealing with women. April was older than his sons and had always been a bit like a mother to them. With the exception of the occasional joke, they had always treated her respectfully. He already knew that this young lady was going to be another matter. Hearing the sound of laughter he headed straight to the kitchen.  
  
  
  
"Did you SEE how hard he was clutching that pillow?! His knuckles were turning white!" Raphael clutched his sides and doubled over laughing.  
  
Donatello just shook his head and kept measuring out the pancake ingredients. Leonardo tried to keep a straight face as he chopped potatoes, "Come on, we all get morning wood sometimes."  
  
"True, but we don't always get to wake up with a hot naked chick! If she'd been on MY bed I'd have—"  
  
Splinter cleared his throat, "You'd have what Raphael?"  
  
Everyone jumped slightly. They hadn't even noticed Master Splinter enter the room. Fighting back a blush, Leonardo continued his chopping with renewed focus. Raphael drew in a sharp breath and straightened up, attempting to look serious. "I wouldn't have poked her bellybutton."  
  
"Good. The young lady is getting dressed now. Need I remind you that she, like all women, is to be treated with proper respect?"  
  
"No Sensei."  
  
"There will be no comments made about the manner in which she was awakened, is that clear?"  
  
"Yes Sensei."  
  
"That goes for all of you."  
  
Leonardo and Donatello both looked up from their tasks and nodded their acknowledgement. Splinter walked back to the living room and settled down in his favorite chair. Closing his eyes he relaxed and waited for the young woman to finish dressing.  
  
  
  
Hearing footsteps approaching he opened his eyes. The young woman walked into the room, limping slightly. Splinter stood and hurried over to her, offering her his arm, "Oh my dear child! In all the excitement I forgot about your leg."  
  
"Its not too bad, the transformation heals wounds to an extent." But she took his arm anyway.  
  
"We shall take a look at it after breakfast. If it has healed enough, it may be necessary to remove the stitches."  
  
She nodded. "And there go my manners again. Please allow my to introduce myself, I am called Splinter. I would like to welcome you into our home"  
  
"I am pleased to meet you. I'm Janine Smith. Thank you."  
  
"I am honored to make your acquaintance Miss Smith."  
  
"Please, just call me Janine, or Jan if you prefer." She gave him a dazzling smile.  
  
Splinter smiled back then sniffed at the air. "Okay, Janine. It smells like breakfast is nearly ready. Shall we head to the kitchen?"  
  
"That would be wonderful! I'm starving!" As if to punctuate the statement, her stomach let out a loud growl. She giggled and looked slightly embarrassed. Splinter smiled and led her towards the kitchen.  
  
  
  
Everyone looked up from their tasks when they entered the room. Now that she was standing and in full light they could see that she was a little over 5 feet tall, had sparkling blue eyes, and a bright smile.  
  
Splinter led her to the rectangular table and seated her at one end. He turned towards his sons. "I would like you to meet Miss Janine Smith. Janine, this is Donatello," Splinter gestured towards the turtle cooking pancakes.  
  
She smiled and spoke somewhat softly, "Hello Donatello." He waved his spatula in response.  
  
Splinter then gestured towards the turtle who was tending to both a skillet full of home fries and a pan full of sausage, "Leonardo."  
  
He bowed slightly, "I am very pleased to meet you Janine."  
  
She smiled again, "Likewise."  
  
"And this is Raphael," Splinter gestured towards the nearest turtle, who was just finishing setting the table.  
  
Raphael grinned widely at her, "Hello-o Janine."  
  
Her smile turned into a smirk, "Nice to meet you Raphael. I hope my fleas didn't give you too much trouble last night"  
  
His smile faded and desperation showed in his eyes. Splinter interrupted before he could reply, "Fleas?"  
  
She looked up at him. "Just a little joke. He and Michaelangelo were discussing naming me last night. One of Raphael's suggestions was Fleabag, and if memory serves, it was one of the politer suggestions." She looked back towards Raphael, enjoying his discomfort.  
  
Splinter glanced sternly at his son. "It was just a joke Sensei. How was I supposed to know that she understood what I was saying?" Splinter crossed his arms and remained silent. Raphael decided to take the hint. He looked back down at Janine. "Umm…I'm sorry I said those things about you. Please forgive me."  
  
Out of the corner of her eye Janine noticed the other two turtles gaping at their brother. She wondered why they looked so surprised. "Apology accepted."  
  
"Good!" Splinter looked pleased. He looked over towards the stove. Donatello was sliding the last pancake onto a platter, and Leonardo had already set the potatoes and sausage on the table. "Let us go ahead and begin breakfast, our guest is hungry." 


	8. Chapter 8

Moonlight  
  
Chapter 8  
  
  
  
Splinter had seated himself opposite Janine. Leonardo and Raphael had immediately seated themselves next to her. Donatello had sat next to Raphael, leaving the seat near the door open. Although they normally waited for the whole family to be seated before beginning a meal, Splinter indicated that they were to start without Michaelangelo. No one asked why.  
  
Splinter was pleased to note that everyone was on their best behavior. Raphael and Leonardo were attending to Janine's needs, making sure she had all she wanted to eat, and not pestering her with questions. Donatello appeared to be quietly observing her, but was doing so in an unobtrusive manner. Janine seemed fairly comfortable with the attention being paid her and was eating with a considerable appetite. Splinter wondered when she had last eaten. Michaelangelo had offered her something last night, but she hadn't been interested.  
  
Michaelangelo finally joined them after about 10 minutes. Raphael looked up as he walked in the door. "Hey Mike, what's up? Have a hard time getting up this morning?"  
  
Michaelangelo stopped in his tracks, his face screwing with anger, "Why you- -!"  
  
"Stop!" Splinter glared at Raphael. "You will do the dishes and clean the kitchen after breakfast."  
  
"But Master! I--!"  
  
"No buts. You were told not to make any comments." Splinter turned to look at Michaelangelo. He looked to be vacillating between anger and embarrassment. "Please join us Michaelangelo."  
  
Leonardo turned around in the chair, a sympathetic look on his face. "Come on Mike, your breakfast is starting to get cold." He pushed the chair out for him.  
  
Keeping his eyes on the floor he walked over and sat down. Splinter touched his shoulder briefly, "Michaelangelo, this is Janine Smith. Janine, as you already know, this is Michaelangelo."  
  
"Hi Michaelangelo."  
  
He tried to look at her, but couldn't make eye contact. "Hi," he said flatly.  
  
He reached for the stack of pancakes but Donatello beat him to it. Carefully removing a couple pancakes from the bottom of the dwindling stack, he spoke up, "I made some smiley face pancakes for you."  
  
"Really?" Michaelangelo perked up and held his plate out. Donatello angled the serving spatula and dropped them on the plate, smiley faces pointed towards his brother. "Cool! Thanks Donnie!"  
  
"No problem. I thought you could use a pick-me-up."  
  
Michaelangelo's face fell and Raphael snickered, elbowing Donatello in the side. "Nice one!"  
  
Splinter sighed and raised his eyes to the ceiling. Raphael let out a yelp as someone's foot connected with his right shin. He glowered at Leonardo who was giving him a "You should know better," look.  
  
Donatello's eyes went wide and he stammered, "I didn't mean THAT! You know I wouldn't joke about that. I just thought that it would be a nice surprise. Really."  
  
"Its okay. I know you didn't mean it." Michaelangelo began buttering the pancakes. "Would someone please pass the syrup?"  
  
Leonardo picked it up from where it sat next to Janine and set it by Michaelangelo's plate. He picked it up and doused the pancakes liberally. As he reached for the sausage he asked, "And would someone please explain why I seem to have woken up in an episode of The Twilight Zone?"  
  
Donatello spoke up, "Hmmm…that sounds like about as likely an explanation as any. Everyone here seems to believe that the wolf you brought home last night, and the young lady seated at the end of the table are one and the same. But we haven't actually heard from Janine on the issue yet."  
  
Everyone turned to look at her. She froze, fork halfway between the plate and her mouth. A piece of potato slipped off it and landed with a ketchup splat on the edge of the table. She set the fork down and wiped up the mess with her napkin. Putting her hands in her lap she looked up at everyone. "Well, it's a long story. But yes, I am a lycanthrope."  
  
Raphael looked confused. "Lycanthrope?"  
  
"Cool! You're a werewolf?" Michaelangelo blurted.  
  
"Michaelangelo! Don't speak with your mouth full." Splinter admonished him.  
  
He swallowed, "Sorry. So how did you become a werewolf Janine?"  
  
"I was born one. My whole family was the same way. We--." Her words trailed off and her eyes began to fill with tears. Her breathing became ragged and she closed her eyes tight, bowing her head forward and hunching forward.  
  
Responding to her obvious emotional pain, Splinter swiftly rose from his chair and walked around the table to her. He wanted to wrap his arms around her and hold her as he used to do with his sons, but he wasn't sure if she'd appreciate being hugged by an almost complete stranger. Instead he carefully laid his hands on her shoulders. She straightened up a little and began to breathe a bit easier. He began to carefully work at the knots in her shoulders. She let out a ragged sob and pressed the napkin to her face, tears beginning to flow freely.  
  
The Turtles looked on in silence. They really didn't know what to do to help comfort her, so they kept quiet and continued their meal. Raphael shot Michaelangelo a dirty look for triggering her tears, but his eyes were downcast and he didn't notice.  
  
Janine's sobbing continued for a few minutes, slowly tapering off until she was dabbing at her eyes and apologizing for her behavior. Leonardo had left the room for tissues and set a box full in front of her. "Its okay."  
  
"There is no need to apologize. Crying is a very healthy thing to do, so is talking." Splinter patted her shoulders and moved back to his seat. He looked around the table. "It looks like most of us are done with breakfast. Let us move to the living room so Raphael can clean the kitchen."  
  
Raphael rolled his eyes but began quickly clearing the table. Michaelangelo attacked the last of his food with renewed effort and the others rose to their feet.  
  
Janine smiled crookedly and wiped at her eyes. "I must be a mess. Where is your restroom?"  
  
"Leonardo, please show her the way."  
  
"Right this way," and he guided her out.  
  
Splinter wondered exactly what it was that caused her to burst into tears. Obviously something involving her family, but what?  
  
  
  
(Thanks to Kali for suggesting Raphael's "What's up?" comment!) 


	9. Chapter 9

Moonlight  
  
Chapter 9  
  
  
  
Janine gazed into the mirror over the sink wondering just what she had gotten herself into. She had been so stupid these past few days. What self- respecting werewolf went and forgot about the full moon? Her stupidity had very nearly gotten her killed. Had it not been for the timely intervention of Michaelangelo she'd have been skinned and discarded by now. Fortunately, she had been incredibly lucky.  
  
Her thoughts turned to her unlikely saviors, four giant talking turtles and a rat. Living in the sewers of NYC, no less. It sounded like a bad urban legend; no if that was the case they'd be alligators. She laughed to at the thought of walking talking alligators. Somehow that seemed absurd, yet the turtles did not. Despite their looks, they seemed just like regular people. Good people in fact. She knew to trust her instincts. If they felt safe to her, they must be.  
  
Opening the door, she found a different turtle waiting for her outside the bathroom.  
  
"Donatello?"  
  
He looked a bit startled. "Yes. I'm surprised that you were able to recognize me."  
  
"I'm pretty good at picking up visual cues."  
  
He shifted his position slightly. "Splinter wants me to take a look at your wound."  
  
"Yeah, he said the stitches might need to come out."  
  
"Oh no, its much too soon for that," he said with confidence, "but the bandage will at least need changing."  
  
"You might be surprised. So where are we doing this?"  
  
He started down the hall. "The infirmary, right this way."  
  
"You have an infirmary?"  
  
"Well, we can't exactly see a doctor or go to the hospital when we're hurt, so we've set aside a room for patching ourselves up after fights." He opened the door at the end of the hall, and flipping on the light switch, ushered her in.  
  
She looked around the room as he headed to one of the cabinets. It was much better lit than the rest of their home. There were two twin-sized beds in the middle of the room, headboards against the wall; a sink on the wall to her right complete with soap and paper towels; numerous cabinets and drawers; and a few chairs. The room was also spotless. She was quite impressed, and would have said so, except Donatello had piqued her curiosity. She looked towards him; he was opening drawers looking for something. "Fights?"  
  
He paused a moment, pulled a sheet out of the open drawer and turned towards her. "It's a long story, we've ah, made a few enemies. People generally don't take well to us."  
  
"I'd imagine not. People normally react to that which is different through fight or flight. If you're not like them you must be evil or something. So if you have the misfortune, or fortune depending upon your point of view, of being different from the majority you must either blend in or conceal yourself."  
  
"You sound as though you are familiar with such a way of life."  
  
"Of course I am. Werewolves aren't supposed to be real. We're supposed to only exist in fairy tales and monster movies. Do you know what people might do if they knew?"  
  
"Hunt you."  
  
"Cage you and study you."  
  
"Experiment upon you."  
  
"Exhibit you as a 'curiosity'."  
  
"Lynch you."  
  
She sighed, "And of course, there is the very slim chance that you just might be accepted. But it's not bloody likely. Humans are notoriously intolerant of themselves; just think of how they'd feel about knowing that separate sentient species exist."  
  
"It sounds as though we have something in common."  
  
"You know, until today I've never spoken to anyone about this outside of my family."  
  
"Well you have five fellow non-humans to speak about it with now. You need not fear that we will reveal your secret."  
  
Janine had paced about the room throughout the exchange and now stood before him. She took a deep breath and released it, speaking quietly, "Thank you."  
  
"You're welcome." He blushed slightly and looked down at the neatly folded sheet over his arm. He looked back up and held it out to her. "Here. Um, you're going to need to take your jeans off so I can get to the wound. I figured you could sit on the bed and put this over your lap."  
  
She took the sheet from him, and he headed to the sink. She walked over to the nearest bed and quickly removed the jeans, which were a bit loose and long on her. "Whose clothing am I wearing anyway?"  
  
"They belong to a human friend of ours. I'm sure you'll here all about her later. She keeps a set of spare clothing down here because traipsing through the sewers can be a bit messy. You ready?"  
  
Janine sat down and wrapped the sheet to cover her lap and backside. "Sure."  
  
Donatello walked over with a tray full of bandages, cotton balls, and a bottle of antiseptic. He set it next to her on the bed and kneeled down beside her. He carefully cut the gauze wrapped around her leg and peeled back the bandage. Gasping in surprise he spoke, "This is almost completely healed!"  
  
She smiled, "The transformation will do that. It doesn't completely heal injuries, but it gives them a jump-start."  
  
"Wow. I will have to take the stitches out. I'm afraid it's going to hurt a bit though."  
  
"Don't worry I can handle it."  
  
"I don't doubt it. You were a real trooper last night." He picked up a tiny bladed scissors and began working.  
  
  
  
Raphael worked frantically at the dishes. He didn't want to miss out on a single thing involving Janine. He also wanted to know whether or not Michaelangelo had really only poked her in the belly button. He seemed awfully embarrassed about the whole thing. "Gonna have to get him away from everyone else and find out," he thought.  
  
  
  
Splinter had gone to his room to groom and dress for the day, leaving Leonardo and Michaelangelo in the living room. Michaelangelo flipped on the TV, surfing for cartoons. Leonardo watched him for a moment, debating whether or not to ask him about the events of the morning. His curiosity got the better of him.  
  
"So Mike, what happened this morning?"  
  
Michaelangelo frowned at the TV. "I accidentally stuck my finger in her bellybutton. End of story."  
  
Leonardo moved to the chair so he could get a better look at Michaelangelo's face. "So how exactly does one accidentally stick their finger in a girl's bellybutton?" Michaelangelo shot him a dirty look and he raised his left eyebrow in response, "Well?"  
  
"Its surprisingly easy when you're half-asleep."  
  
"What did you think you were doing?"  
  
Michaelangelo returned his attention to the TV, "I don't know. Now could we just drop this?"  
  
Leonardo had the feeling that his last question had made his brother especially uncomfortable, but decided not to push the issue. Michaelangelo had finally settled on Sailor Moon. Leonardo tried to watch, but as much as he liked Japanese culture he'd never gotten into the sexy anime schoolgirl thing. He started thinking about Janine. She was petite, slender, and quite good-looking. Not stunningly beautiful, but then not many women were, and he suspected that many of those owed their perfect looks to plastic surgery and airbrushing. And best of all, she apparently wasn't human. "I wonder if she'd consider dating one of us?"  
  
"What?"  
  
Alarmed he returned Michaelangelo's gaze. He hadn't intended to say that out loud. Michaelangelo broke into a grin.  
  
"Awww…don't tell me you're actually thinking about something other than perfecting your skills? Your katanas will get jealous!"  
  
"I didn't mean me! Well, not that I wouldn't be interested if she were, that is. But, it's just that she's not exactly a human. Do you suppose there's any chance that she could become interested in one of us?"  
  
Raphael walked into the room. "Me? Yes. You two losers? No way!" He flashed them a big grin and pretended to buff his fingernails on his plastron.  
  
Michaelangelo returned his attention to the television with a scowl. Leonardo glared at Raphael, "Finished cleaning the kitchen in record time?"  
  
"Well I—."  
  
"Uh-huh. I'm checking to see if you're done."  
  
Splinter walked into the room, "No need Leonardo, I'll check. Come Raphael, let us see how well you have done your chore."  
  
Raphael shot Leonardo a dirty look and followed Splinter into the kitchen. Leonardo smiled and shook his head. He had no sympathy for his brother; he'd brought it on himself. Looking at the clock he wondered when Donatello and Janine would be done. 


	10. Chapter 10

Moonlight  
  
Chapter 10  
  
  
  
Splinter had found Raphael's cleaning job lacking in more ways than one.  He hadn't wiped down the countertops or stove, and had missed several dribbles of syrup on the table. A few of the dishes drying on the rack could have done with a little more scrubbing as well. He pointed out these things and set Raphael back to work on them.  
  
He then returned to the living room and his favorite chair.  Splinter glanced at the cartoon Michaelangelo was watching.  He had once thought that his son would outgrow such things, but he knew now that he'd only outgrown some of them, the ones without pretty female characters in short skirts or tight outfits.  Splinter shrugged slightly at the thought. Who could blame him with the way they were drawing them?  He turned his attention to a magazine.  
  
Janine and Donatello entered the room a short time later.  She was still favoring her left leg, but did not look to be moving as stiffly as she was earlier. Donatello sat down in the middle of the couch, and she seated herself next to him.  Apparently hearing their arrival, Raphael came in from the kitchen and claimed a pillow on the floor.  Splinter briefly wondered whether he had finished the job properly this time, but everyone was eager to hear Janine's story, and he didn't want to delay it any longer.  
  
"So, how is the leg?"  He looked at Janine.  
  
She smiled, "It feels much better now that the stitches are out."  
  
Michaelangelo turned off the TV and looked at Donatello incredulously, "You took the stitches out already?"  
  
"I was as surprised as you are.  She healed quite well overnight."  
  
Leonardo spoke up, "But how?"  
  
"Is it because it wasn't a silver bullet?" Michaelangelo guessed.  
  
She chuckled at that.  "No.  Silver bullets are no more dangerous to me than the regular kind.  My body just automatically heals a bit while it changes."  
  
Michaelangelo looked intrigued, "Cool!  That must come in handy!  So what does it feel like?"  
  
"Changing?  It's not really painful, just weird, and uncomfortable.  Like becoming rubbery and being stretched and molded.  I dunno, I don't think I can adequately describe the sensations.  Its like nothing else I've ever felt."  
  
Donatello managed to get a question in, "How fast is the process?"  
  
"Not long.  I usually start tingling all over about 5 minutes beforehand, then the change takes maybe a minute or less.  Afterwards I feel tingly and disoriented for a little while.  Going from the point of view of a two- legged creature to a four legged one, and vice versa, takes a little adjustment.  Last night was the first time I've ever slept through it.  I must have been really out of it!"  
  
"Speaking of last night, how much do you remember about the things that happen while you're a wolf?" Raphael tried to look nonchalant.  
  
She shot him a wicked grin, "Everything.  But I'm not going to hold too much against you."  
  
Raphael looked chagrined and Michaelangelo laughed at him.  "Yet another reason to always be kind to animals!"  
  
She turned her gaze to Michaelangelo and Donatello, giving them a warm smile.  "That reminds me, thank you so much for saving me.  I owe you my life."  
  
Donatello blushed slightly and spoke towards his feet, "It was nothing."   
  
Michaelangelo on the other hand jumped to his feet, and making a flourish with is hand bowed to her, "Our pleasure, Milady!"  
  
"Still, I don't know how I'll ever be able to repay your kindness.  You've all done so much for me, a complete stranger!"  
  
Splinter spoke for all of them, "We have only done what is right.  You are in no way in our debt." She nodded her acknowledgement, and he continued, "Might I inquire, as to how you got yourself into such a bad situation last night?"  
  
She let out a deep breath, "Yes.  I'm afraid it's a rather long story though."  
  
"Ooh, should I make popcorn?"  Michaelangelo was smacked in the face by a pillow that came from Raphael's direction.  "Just kidding.  Sheesh."  
  
Janine cracked a smile at him and then looked around the room.  "Where to start?  Well, lycanthropy runs in my family on both sides.  I've never really been a genealogy buff, but it goes back at least 5 generations.  How or when it started, I don't know."  
  
"Anyway, for about 4 or 5 days every month when the moon is full, my family changes from human to wolf. We have no control over the change, though we do retain normal intelligence and memory.  We've always been very careful about this and taken precautions to be away from the human world at those times.  Mom and dad started a jewelry business before any of us were born, and as owners were able to schedule those times off."  
  
Leonardo spoke up, "Us? You have siblings?"  
  
"Yes. A pair of twin brothers. Joe and Byron. They're a couple years older than me."  
  
"And how old are you?" Raphael asked.  
  
"Almost 21."  
  
Michaelangelo grinned, "Sweet! So are we!"  
  
She returned his smile, and continued where she had left off, "My parents bought a house on a large piece of mostly wooded property and made a few modifications to make it more suitable for our special needs.  Security things like a good gate on the driveway and fences on the property boundaries. Plus things you might not think about, but that made all the difference in the world to us.  I was always told that I should be thankful that pet doors were invented because there's nothing more miserable than being locked inside for 5 days."   
  
"They home schooled us so that there would be no suspicious absences from school.  For those 'moon days' as we called them, we would roam the property as a pack.  They felt that it was important for us to learn to survive as wolves as well as humans.  They taught us how to track game, hunt, and avoid dangers like poisons.  Not that there was ever any real danger there, but they wanted us to be ready for anything." Her audience nodded with agreement.  
  
"Now, how did I get to where I was when Michaelangelo met me? About three weeks ago, just a little after our moon days, we were set to attend a concert.  I came down with a rather nasty case of food poisoning."  She made a face, "I'll never eat at McDonald's again!"  
  
Michaelangelo piped up, "Amen to that!"  
  
Janine continued, "Anyway, I started getting sick a couple of hours before we were to leave, and I couldn't go."  Her eyes began to get glassy and she focused her gaze on the wall.  "On the way home," her voice cracked and she took a deep breath.  "On the way home, they got hit by a drunk driver."  
  
She had barely squeaked out those last words, when she burst into tears.  She buried her face in her hands and sobbed loudly.  Donatello put his left hand on her back and took the box of tissues that Leonardo was holding out to her with his right.  He nudged her elbow with it, "Here."  
  
She took several and began blowing her nose and wiping her eyes.  Ever thoughtful, Leonardo had returned with a wastebasket, which he placed on the floor directly  
  
in front of her.  She dropped the used tissues in it and grabbed a few more.  Donatello rubbed her back as her sobs subsided a bit.  Just as Splinter was about to speak what words of comfort he could think of, she suddenly began to speak again.  "They were all  
  
killed!  That bastard crossed over the line and hit them head-on!" Her voice rose and she spoke quicker,  "Another car on their side wasn't able to stop in time and smashed into them as well.  That driver was killed too.  The police at least said that it all happened so quickly that they probably didn't feel anything.   But fuck that!  I want them back!  I miss them so much!"  
  
Everyone sat in stunned silence as Janine burst into a wail. All of them had at times dealt with the fear and pain of the possible loss of a family member. But they had always been fortunate; their close calls had remained just that. The thought of losing one's entire family was almost too terrible to comprehend.  
  
Splinter felt a chill run down his spine as he looked at the girl now sobbing in Donatello's arms. He couldn't imagine being able to cope with such a loss. He thought that she must have a great deal of strength to have lasted this long. As if on cue, she straightened up and began to get her breathing under control. She obviously didn't like losing her composure in front of others. Splinter turned to Leonardo who was staring off into the distance with a pained look on his face, "Go get her a glass of water." He nodded and hurried to the kitchen.  
  
Splinter looked back at the girl. She had pulled away from Donatello and was dabbing at her face with a tissue. Leonardo returned and offered her the water. She took a big gulp and swallowed it. "Thanks, sorry about that," she spoke to no one in particular.  
  
"Apologies are unnecessary. Please accept our condolences for the loss of your family." The four turtles murmured their agreement and he continued, "You must be having a very difficult time coping right now."  
  
"I am. That's what got me in trouble. Somehow the family lawyer and our friends got me through the first couple of weeks. It's all a blur, the arrangements, the funeral, everything. But it all got worked out. I now own the house, business, and everything else we had. Then, after all the hustle and bustle was over, I realized just how alone I am. I couldn't handle being in the house alone. I found myself listening for the everyday noises I took for granted. Mom working in the kitchen, my brothers playing videogames, my dad's 'I'm home'. Little things like that."  
  
"I couldn't sleep for more than a couple hours at a stretch. I was always jumping at noises. I couldn't deal with it, so I decided to get out of the house for a while. I wanted to go where there would be things to do at all hours, and lots of people. So I made what arrangements I need to, and left for the city."  
  
She sighed, "I suppose that to an extent this 'vacation' has helped. It's very easy to distract yourself here. There's so much to see and do. So many people around. I immersed myself in anything and everything that caught my whim. I've been visiting museums, seeing shows, shopping, and well, I distracted myself so much that I lost track of time. I forgot about the moon. I forgot up until the tingling started. I was out walking, I had barely enough time to find cover and hide my things before the change came upon me. It was sheer stupidity on my part and I nearly paid the price for it."  
  
"I got a crash course in life as an animal on the streets of New York. My parents taught us well, but I still wasn't prepared for city survival. I've spent the last few days running from animal control, jerks with rocks, then finally those two goons with the gun. Finding food wasn't very easy here either. Even the squirrels are tough. I swear I saw a couple of them with body piercings and tattoos!" She grinned at that and everyone couldn't help but chuckle. Her smile faded and she lowered her head, "Anyway, that's how it happened. It was all my fault. It was just plain dumb of me to get caught unawares like that. I'm such an idiot"  
  
Splinter looked at her with concern, "Don't be so hard on your self Janine. You've gone through a great deal this past month. Your world was turned upside down, making a few mistakes while you regain your balance is to be expected."  
  
"Well, I've certainly learned a lesson about keeping abreast of lunar happenings."  
  
"No doubt. By the way, you mentioned hiding some things before you changed?"  
  
"Yeah, my clothes, purse, keys, jewelry," she paled, "Oh no! I hope I hid it well enough!"  
  
Leonardo spoke up, "You remember where you hid it?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"If you'll just let us know where, we'll go get it for you once night falls."  
  
"That would be wonderful! Thank you all so much. You've been too kind."  
  
Leonardo waved her thanks off, "Its nothing." 


End file.
